For the most part, shots were coming at Ilya Bryzgalov from poor angles and without traffic. Terry Murray’s “shot mentality” was in full effect but it didn’t produce much in terms of scoring chances. My good friend Marc and I commented numerous times “right in the crest” following a Kings’ shot on goal. Most impressive was Andrei Loktionov. He rebelled against Murray’s system several times and got the puck to the high percentage scoring areas. He was credited with only 1 shot on goal, but he created a few scoring opportunities with his play.

The Kings played well enough to win. The Coyotes played bad enough to lose, especially with their countless giveaways. At the end of the day though, there was no speed through the neutral zone and dump and chase was the initial instinct of nearly every zone entry. We made a bad Coyotes’ team on this night look good. The few times the Kings played like they could and should if they were not caught within this archaic system, the team showed signs of brilliance. Alas, to hold out hope for that on a consistent basis this season and with this coach at the helm may spring eternal.